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Text and photos by Nick Baker, unless otherwise stated

 EcologyAsia 2008
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Puff-faced Water Snake
   

Adult specimen in freshwater stream, Singapore.

Close-up showing typical adult head patterning, Singapore.
 

Family : COLUBRIDAE
Species : Homalopsis buccata
Maximum Size : 1.2 metres

References : H2, H3

Link : Aquatic Snakes of Southeast Asia, Field Museum of Natural History ... follow this link

The Puff-faced Water Snake inhabits fresh water bodies including swamps, ponds and forest streams. Nocturnal in habits, it feeds mainly on small fish or frogs.

 
 

30cm juvenile specimen
   

Juveniles are dark brown to black, with orange, red or pale bands with black-edging. Adults are plain brown or grey in colour, and have less distinctive banding. The belly is whitish, and the body scales are keeled. The species can be easily identified by the patterning on top of the broad head. 

The species ranges from India, Bangladesh and Burma through most of Southeast Asia including Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. In Indonesia it occurs on Borneo, Sumatra and Java.